Angels spring training could put Walbert Ureña's development to the test

The Los Angeles Angels have an exciting young arm in Walbert Ureña, and will be faced with an interesting question of how best to use him. Something that should get sorted out in spring training. The Angels still view the 22-year-old as a future starter, and therefor will most likely be reluctant to use him as a reliever in spring training — even though that may be how he can best help the roster right now.

Expect LA to stretch him out in the spring and use him for multiple innings in Arizona and eventually deploy him as a starter in the minor leagues to begin the season. While that may be the more prudent approach in the long run, his numbers in the minors suggest a relief role may be more appropriate.

Angels are under-utilizing an electric young arm by viewing him as a starter

Ureña signed with the Angels out of the Dominican Republic back in 2021 and early on it was apparent that he had a live arm. His fastball regularly touches the upper-90's and he has impressive strikeout numbers with an 8.4 K/9 rate in the minors. His curveball and changeup, however, still have a ways to go before he can be considered a well-rounded pitcher.

Last season in Double-A, Ureña took a no-hitter bid into the eighth inning, so he's the type of pitcher who can shut down a lineup when he is dealing. The main problem is his command. Over 141 innings last season, he walked an alarming 73 batters in 28 starts. Those walk numbers should be a warning sign that Ureña may not be best suited to be a starter long-term.

Spring training is the time to experiment, so why not let him go out there for one inning and tell him to empty the tank like it's Game 7 of the World Series? Let him throw 15 pitches or so at max effort and see if he can be wildly effective in that sort of role.

Ureña is clearly a player the Angels are high on. They added him to the 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, so they see a ton of upside in the young arm. Some even believed he could've made his big league debut late last season.

Perhaps Ureña can develop into a starter at some point, but it may be time to accept the fact that he has a wild hair up his nose and would be best used as a reliever. Perhaps the Angels' coaching staff will have a change of heart this spring.